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LEWISBURG, Pa. – The third-seeded Bucknell softball team made an impressive run in the 2014 Patriot League Tournament, eliminating first-seeded Lehigh and fourth-seeded Army on Friday to advance to the championship game against second-seeded Boston University on Saturday, and while the Bison were defeated 10-5 in that contest, there is no denying the abundance of outstanding performances that the team put forth over the course of the three-day competition. Junior Cydnee Sanders highlighted the team’s efforts, hitting an astonishing .692 (9-for-13) over the course of four games, and on Monday was named Bison Athlete of the Week for her truly outstanding play.

Sanders began the tournament with an impressive showing in a 4-3 (8 innings) loss to the Terriers, hitting 4-for-4 with a two-RBI double that gave the Bison a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning. The junior short stop followed that up with a pair of 2-for-3 outings on Friday, but reached base in all six of her at-bats with two fielder’s choice plays. She hit a single up the middle to drive in the tying run against the Mountain Hawks and played a crucial role in sparking the offense in the team’s 3-2 win over the Black Knights. The junior concluded her season with a 1-for-3 showing on Saturday, singling to left field and scoring in the first inning, but was intentionally walked in the bottom of the fifth. The first team All-Patriot League honoree and Scholar-Athlete of the Year received All-Tournament accolades for her collection of stellar performances.

Sanders has been consistently excellent for the Bison for the duration of the 2014 campaign, and finished the season with a .482 batting average, a mark that currently ranks her second in the nation and is the third-best to ever be compiled by a Bison. She recorded at least one hit in 43 of Bucknell’s 49 games in 2014, setting a program single-season record with 80 hits, and she also tied the school mark with 15 doubles. She has led the Patriot League in batting average for the entire campaign and also finished her season ranked first in hits and runs scored.